The Replacements
by StrangerWithMyFace
Summary: Harry, Hermione and Ron are kidnapped, some of our favorite minor characters have to take charge. Can they fill the dream team’s shoes? Ginny acts rashly. Cho explains herself. Neville does something he'll regret. Does Draco really want to help?
1. Prologue

DISCLAIMER: All bow to JKR and Scholastic. 

SPECIAL THANKS: To Rebecca for beta reading. She's the best. :)

NOTES: This is my first attempt at an actual HP series. I tend to write stuff then become disinterested but I'm going to try to actually finish this one. *crosses fingers* Anyway, it's mostly about some of the more minor characters. This is the prologue and it's probably the most you're going to see of Harry, Hermione and Ron for the rest of the series. 

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It Was a Dark and Stormy Night...

Harry Potter stared out from his dormitory window. He couldn't sleep. For some reason, the heavy rain beating down on the Quidditch field was fascinating him. Every now and again a bolt of lightning would crash down and light everything up like it was on fire. Other than that you could barely see anything besides the light in the window of Hagrid's hut. Harry wondered what Hagrid was doing up so late. Of course, if he went down to ask, Hagrid would ask him the same thing.   
  
Harry sighed. His sixth year at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardy was rapidly coming to a close. Things had changed so much for him over the years. He didn't want to leave this place for the summer. He wanted to stay but Professor Dumbledore wouldn't let him. He closed his eyes and imagined himself at home with his Godfather, Sirius Black. That dream, of course, was impossible. Sirius was still on the run.   
  
Neville Longbottom snored loudly and made Harry jump. The chubby boy rolled over but didn't stir. Harry wished someone else was up so he'd have someone to talk to. But that was highly unlikely. His best friend, Ron Weasley, rolled over in his untroubled sleep. Ron didn't have as much to worry about as Harry did, so he could sleep peacefully. Everyone else could sleep peacefully.   
  
Harry turned his attention back to the window. Another crash of lightning illuminated the field. Harry peered intently out the window. He thought he had seen a man- a tall man with shaggy, black hair and ruffled robes. He was probably just seeing things. It couldn't be. Could it? He willed another lightning bolt to come so he could see again.   
  
As if on cue, the field lit up again. There was a man. He hadn't been seeing things. "Sirius," Harry breathed.   
  
Harry hastily put on his school robes. He tripped trying to get his shoes on and fell right onto Ron's bed.   
  
"Harry?" Ron asked blearily.   
  
"Shh!" Harry hushed him. "Sirius is outside."   
  
"What?" Ron asked shocked. "Harry, it can't be Sirius. You said he was somewhere sunny. Are you sure you're not just seeing things because you're worried about him?"   
  
"No!" Harry protested. "It's him. I know it." He finished dressing and made a lunge for the door.   
  
"Wait!" Ron called after him. "I'm coming with you."   
  
The pair ran down the stairs. They had gotten dressed in record time. "Wait." Ron stopped Harry again as he was about to disappear out of the portrait hole. "We should get Hermione. She'll want to talk to Sirius if it's him."   
Truth be told, he wanted Hermione because she would be the voice of reason and Harry was obviously off his rocker.   
  
"Oh all right," Harry sighed impatiently. "Go get her." Ron scrambled up the stairs to the girls' dormitory. He tried not to look at anything he shouldn't. If they knew he was in their room, they'd have a fit. Ron poked the sleeping Hermione. "Get up. Harry's going crazy and he wants us to be there for the show."   
  
* * * * *   
  
The three students raced down the hallway with reckless abandon. Harry was anxious to see his Godfather and the other two were just trying to keep up with him. He didn't seem to care that he was making a lot of noise or that if a teacher found them they would be in a boat load of trouble.   
  
Harry reached the doors and plunged into the dark, rainy night without looking behind him to see if Ron and Hermione had kept up. The ground under his feet made audible squishing sounds as he streaked across toward the Quidditch field. It had been raining so   
much that the earth was saturated with water.   
  
He reached the Quidditch field, panting heavily. There was no one there. Ron and Hermione came up behind him, just as out of breath, a few seconds later. They   
looked around for Sirius but found no one.   
  
"Harry..." Hermione began in a soothing tone.   
  
"No!" Harry wouldn't listen. He looked around wildly. There was still no one in sight. "I was sure I saw someone," he added despondently.   
  
"It was probably just a trick of the light," Hermione said logically. "Anyone could've made that mistake."   
  
Ron snorted. He tried not to let Harry see him laughing. "Anyone who's mental-" he began, turning toward Hermione. But Hermione was gone. She had simply vanished from her place. "Hermione!" he called out. No answer. "Harry!" Harry turned to him. Hermione is gone."   
  
"What? But where-?" Harry came over and stood next to Ron. The boys looked around.   
  
Ron turned to his friend intending to say "She's just gone," but he suddenly found himself alone. Harry had disappeared as well.   
  
"Harry! Hermione!" Ron called out again. Now he was panicking. He felt fear grip him and he gasped. There was a man standing in front of him. Ron's eyes went wide as he recognized his attacker.   
  
"Oh bugger," he swore and felt darkness engulf him.   
  
Another crash of lightning illuminated the empty Quidditch field.   
  
****   



	2. Three Heroes

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NOTES: I apologize if anyone was waiting patiently for this. "The Little Child to Lead Them" has been taking up my time, and will continue to be my first priority until it is done. I posted the prologue so long ago I doubt anyone will have waited though. 

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DISCLAIMER: The characters and settings were created by JK Rowling and belong to Scholastic, Bloomsbury, Warner Bros and others. 

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Chapter I: Three Heroes 

A tiny creak announced the opening of Ginny Weasley's door. She tried in vain to silence the high-pitched squeaking. It didn't matter anyhow; she watched through the crack as her brother, Hermione and Harry ran down the stairs toward the portrait hole. They hadn't noticed her. She yawned sleepily. She really should go back to sleep; she had classes tomorrow. But something stopped her. 

"Where are they going?" she wondered aloud. She felt a pit of foreboding in her stomach. Something was wrong. Ginny desperately wanted to go after her friends but didn't want to put herself in any danger. She had enough excitement for a lifetime. She hesitated. Perhaps _they _were in danger and needed her help. That was ridiculous; Harry, Ron and Hermione were in danger all the time and they were fine. 

Still, the strange feeling that they were in trouble would not go away. Without another thought, Ginny grabbed her flimsy bathrobe from next to her bed. She was just starting after them when a voice from the boys' dormitory stopped her. "Ginny?" it called. 

She turned around to find a disheveled Neville Longbottom standing at the bottom of the stairs rubbing sleep out of his eyes. He was still in his pajamas. Obviously, the noise she had made getting down the stairs had woken him. "Ginny?" he asked again, still half-asleep. "All right?" 

"Something's wrong, Neville," she whispered with deadly intensity. She didn't know how she knew, she just did. 

Neville paled instantly. Most people would tell her she was just afraid of the storm still raging outside or that she had a nightmare. They would tell her to go back to bed. But Neville was different. He could tell she meant it. There would be no convincing her to stay. "Hang on," he urged her then raced back up to the 6th year boys' dormitory. 

His chubby form emerged again a few moments later, clutching something silvery in his hands. "I'm going with you," he said firmly. Ginny could see that his hands were shaking, the watery silver thing moved ever so slighting. Neville was afraid. He had never been one of the bravest Gryffindors but he'd never let Ginny go running into a dangerous situation by herself. Ginny nodded. She didn't dare protest, he was wearing the same expression she was. 

"What's that?" she asked as they nonchalantly walked toward the portrait hole. 

"It's Harry's," Neville admitted sheepishly. "His father's invisibility cloak. I saw him use it once." 

Ginny grinned at him. Of course, Neville would remember something like that while she was perfectly happy dive head first into the unknown unprepared. She blushed slightly. Usually she wasn't like this, but when Harry was concerned she just couldn't keep her wits about her. 

"Do you have your wand?" Neville in a motherly tone as if he knew what she was thinking. She nodded, but only after checking her pockets to make sure. 

They climbed quietly out of the portrait hole, hoping not to wake any other would-be heroes. The Fat Lady didn't even wake up when they closed it shut behind them. Ginny had an odd feeling that after the painting swung shut, they could never go back. They tip-toed down the hallway. Ginny could tell that Neville was tempted to go tell Professor McGonagall by the way he hesitated as they passed her door. He had been caught out of bed at night once before and didn't want to repeat the performance. Ginny hurried him forward. After all, _they _were out of bed past curfew as well. They'd all get in trouble. And Ginny didn't want to get Harry in any trouble. 

The long, dark hallways of Hogwarts were quite a bit more ominous at night than they were during the day. The throngs of students and cheerful sunlight made you feel protected. At night, the way the shadows flickered made everything look like it was alive. Neville felt like all the paintings were watching him and whispering. Would they tell the professors -- or Filch -- that they were out of bed? He had to constantly remind himself that he was invisible while under the cloak. They paintings couldn't see them.

For Ginny, every shadow looked like a professor ready to give them a detention. Every nerve in her body was on edge. They were just about to the library now, moving very slowly at Neville's request. He wanted to make as little noise as possible. It was the opposite of what she would've done. Ginny reckoned the faster they were outside, the better off they'd be. Up ahead, the darkness was shifting like a person was coming out of the armor next to the library doors. Ginny mentally shook herself. It was no one, just a trick of the light. 

Then, she saw it again. The shadow was moving. Now she was sure that there was someone lurking up ahead. Ginny put her hand out to stop Neville. She pointed silently at the area that had caught her attention. He saw it too and tensed up. Neither moved and inch, hoping whatever it was would just go away. 

Ginny looked at him imploringly. What should we do? she asked with her eyes. He shrugged as if to say "we're invisible, just be quiet and no one will know we're here." 

Neville offered up unspoken prayers to whoever would listen that it wasn't Professor Snape. Neville had grown into a man in the last six years he had been at Hogwarts. He was quiet and respectful yet strong and determined. He was smart too; at the top of most of his classes. Yet somehow, Snape still managed to make him feel like that scared, awkward, eleven-year-old boy. He often had to fight back tears in Potions. The only other person who could do that was his grandmother. Hastily he added "and please don't let it be my grandmother either" to his prayer. 

Ginny leaned forward, trying to make out who it was but her eyes weren't completely adjusted to the darkness yet. Neville had to hold her shoulders so she didn't fall out from under the cloak and blow their cover. She strained her eyes along with her body. Slowly, everything was coming into focus. She could see who it was now. Ginny gasped audibly. Neville gave her a swift kick to silence her but it was too late. The cloak had fallen off. 

"Who's there?" cried a nervous voice as its owner turned around and looked straight at them. 

* * * 

Ron Weasley groaned. He felt like someone had hit him over the head with a heavy object. Slowly, as if through a fog, the night's events came back to him. He realized that it was quite possible that he _had _been hit on the head with a heavy object or maybe several. He tried to reach up to feel for a bump only to notice, for the first time ,that his hands were bound. His hands and feet were tied with a glittery rope that could only be magical. Damnit, that meant he couldn't break them even if he could reach his wand. 

He rolled over in a very awkward manner, trying to get a better look at his surroundings. Hermione was similarly tied right next to him. She was awake as well, probably for longer than he. She looked at him with huge, fearful eyes. He didn't understand. Hermione motioned her head to something behind him. It took awhile, but he turned around enough to see Harry, still passed out, tied to a large, stone altar. It was marked with some strange symbols that Ron couldn't read. He was sure, by the look on her face, that Hermione didn't know what it was either. 

Their attacker didn't seem to be around. Although, it was so dark in this place he could be hiding in the shadows. Ron couldn't see much other than Harry and Hermione. The ground beneath him was rocky and uncomfortable. There was a tree root sticking painfully into his back. Following it with his eyes, he realized that the shadows all around them were cast by more trees. They were still outside somewhere, in a clearing, he concluded. But it didn't seem to be raining here. 

How far had they been taken? They might have been out for days. They could be anywhere. 

"This is bad," Ron sighed. Hermione nodded. 

* * * * *

"Cho?!?" Ginny demanded incredulously. Indeed, the shadowy figure was none other than Cho Chang, the Ravenclaw seeker and Harry's crush. Ginny wasn't sure if she should be relieved it wasn't a teacher or angry that she had given them such a fright.

Cho seemed as surprised to see them as they were her. She was clutching her chest a breathing heavily. Her soft, Asian features were contorted in shock and confusion and her hair was in her face. 

"Where are you going?" Ginny asked. Cho was fully dressed under a heavy cloak. She looked like she was going outside. 

"I could ask you the same thing," she replied as her eyes swept over Ginny and Neville. The two, besides the invisibility cloak, were still in their pajamas. They looked silly. Cho held back a giggle. Ginny's green, flannel nightgown was flimsy and well-worn probably a hand-me-down. Her bathrobe did little to cover her. Neville wore nothing but a white shirt and boxer shorts with golden snitches on them. They stretched their golden wings in the moonlight. He flushed deep crimson under her inspection. He couldn't have been more embarrassed. 

Ginny, on the other hand, was furious. "Where are you going?" 

"Where are _you _going?" Cho demanded. The two girls were looking daggers at each other. Neville decided it was time to step in. 

"Hey! Hey! Be quiet or someone will hear you." He turned to Cho. "We're going outside to check on Harry, Hermione and Ron. We heard them leave awhile ago and the never came back," he explained patiently. 

Ginny snorted indignantly. She acted as if he had just told the enemy their secret. Harry, Hermione and Ron never told anyone who asked what was going on. It was better to play things close to the vest. 

Cho's face softened. "I was going out to check on them too," she whispered so she wouldn't be heard by anyone else. "I was looking out my bedroom window when a bolt of lightening made everything clear, I saw them run across the Quidditch pitch." Her voice filled with concern. "Then when the field lit up again, they were _gone._" 

"Gone?" Ginny asked. "What do you mean 'gone'?" 

"Gone. Past participle of 'go.' As in, not there," Cho replied glibly. 

Ginny opened her mouth to say something rude back when Neville decided it was a good time to cut her off again. If it continued on like this, the two girls would murder each other. "Then we're all here for the same reason. We can go together." 

Cho and Ginny looked horrified. They tried to protest but Neville wouldn't hear it, he kept cutting them off and telling them to be quiet. Suddenly a look of fear came over his face. "Shh!" This time, his tone was different and the girls shut up. He strained his ears. "Someone's coming," he breathed fearfully. 

Quickly, he pushed Ginny and Cho under the cloak, not giving them time to argue about being in such close quaters. They all held their breath and crunched together hoping that the invisibility cloak could cover all three of them. Footsteps could be heard in the distance. They were coming closer. All three of them prayed they wouldn't be spotted. 

"I know I heard voices!" It was Snape. Neville wavered in his spot. Ginny put a comforting hand in his. "Over here!" Snape called. 

He appeared at the end of the dark corridor accompanied by Argus Filch. Their eyes searched every corridor and shadow for students out of bed. Snape's eyes fell on the statue next to where the trio were standing. Neville was sure that he could see through the cloak and was looking straight at him. Snape had such evil powers. He never failed to catch Neville when he was doing something he shouldn't. Neville had visions of never getting out of detention in his life. 

Ginny squeezed his hand again. Neville smiled down at her. 

"Maybe they're over there," Filch pointed to an empty corridor. Snape followed after him with glee. He was hoping to find students he could punish. It was the highlight of his day. 

The trio waited until they were out of sight to breath again. Then they waited until their footsteps couldn't be heard anymore to feel secure. Ginny removed the cloak and clutched it to her body. Her heart was still thumping loudly in her chest. Part of her still thought, Filch or Snape could hear it and would reappear any moment. 

"Is that an invisibility cloak?" Cho asked in awe. "No wonder I didn't see you guys coming. Where'd you get it?" She reached her hand out to examine the cloak but Ginny jumped back. 

"It's Harry's," Ginny hissed. She clutched it tighter, and held it out of Cho's reach. The cloak smelled heavily of Harry and in a sick way it was acting as a substitute for Harry's presence. She didn't want anyone else too touch it, especially not Cho Chang. Cho rolled her eyes. She didn't care enough about the damn cloak to fight Ginny for it. She had just wanted to see it, not keep it as a prized possession. 

"Let's go," Neville interjected. He didn't really want to see the girls go at it now. Snape was only one good yell away. "We're wasting time." The girls nodded. Harry, Hermione and Ron could be anywhere by now. 

They put the cloak back over themselves and raced out into the rainy night suddenly remembering the urgency they had felt earlier. It had been stupid of them to delay. They might have already missed their chance to rescue the other trio. The thick mud made their journey even longer. Their feet stuck into the ground making the run difficult and ruining their shoes. 

Ginny and Neville were painfully aware of why Cho had dressed in thick, winter attire. The heavy rain soaked them to the bone. Ginny felt as thought she had jumped into a lake when she had stepped out of the castle. She shivered under the strength of the nearly horizontal wind. It really was disgusting out. The kind of night that horrible things happened, she thought bitterly. 

"Here!" Cho shouted above the wind as they reached the center of the Quidditch field. "This is where I saw them!" 

The field was completely empty. Save the three of them, there wasn't a person in sight. 

"Harry!" Ginny called out. There was no answer. "Ron!" The wind howled throwing her shouts back in her face, but other than that the night was silent. 

"Look." Neville pointed at Ginny's feet. There were footprints dug deep into the moist ground. Ginny put her feet into the holes. They were much bigger than her feet, and her and Hermione wore the same size shoe. She recognized the cheap brand of shoe. "Ron," she breathed sadly.

"These must be Hermione's," Cho yelled from a few feet away, very close to where Ron had stood. She had spotted another pair of footprints. She stood in them as Ginny had, looking at the ground around them curiously. 

Neville searched the ground. There was another set of footprints next to Ginny. "Harry's," they all said at once. 

That meant that he was standing in Harry's place. Neville shivered when he thought about it. He felt somehow that he should be standing where Ginny was and vice versa. But Ginny didn't seem to notice. She was looking around with interest. She could see the trail Harry had left when he had run out onto the field but the tracks ended where Neville stood like Harry had just vanished. 

"Over here!" Cho yelled again. She was pointing at yet another set of footprints. They went from where Hermione had stood to Ron then to Harry. But they were much bigger and deeper than any student could have made. 

"There was someone else here," Neville observed. That much, was obvious. 

Cho turned around and followed the steps with her eyes. "They went..." she paused when she realized where they led. Her stomach did an involuntary flip-flop, "into the Forbidden Forest." 


	3. Into the Woods

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Disclaimer: As always, I apologize to the very scary lawyers at Warner Brothers, Scholastic and Bloomsbury for taking their product and twisting it around. Damn creativity! 

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Special Thanks: To Emma (FireSprite) who did a lovely beta job on this chapter. She's awesomeness in a can. Go read "_Incendio" _if you haven't already. 

Chapter II: Into the Woods

The Forbidden Forest stood before the three students as a massive, ominous wall of trees and shadows between them and their goal. Neville felt a chill go down his spine when he looked at it. There were no creatures stirring. He couldn't actually see them, but he knew they were there. He had heard stories. Everything was silent, even the howling wind, as they looked upon it. It was as if the forest was trying to lull them into a false sense of security only to spring the trap once they were inside. A loud clap of thunder shook the silence (as well as their already jangled nerves) and caused Neville to jump. 

"What should we...?" Cho questioned uncertainly. She really didn't want to go into the forest. Dumbledore had absolutely prohibited all students from entering it. There were werewolves and monsters in there. 

Not hearing her, or not caring to, Ginny lurched forward before Cho could finish her sentence. "Let's go!" Ginny cried as she made a mad dash for the forest without hesitation. Neville grabbed the back of Ginny's nightgown and pulled her roughly backwards. "Oof," she grunted as she stumbled. Ginny glared at Neville. "What'd you do that for?" 

"We can't go into the forest, it's forbidden," he explained. 

"Hence, the name," Cho piped up sarcastically. 

Ginny glared at Cho too. "Don't you understand?" she shouted. "They wouldn't go into the forest for kicks. Someone took them! We have to help them!" She looked at both of them imploringly. Neville and Cho still looked dubious. "If either of you were in there, the three of them would go after you, no questions asked. So stop being so bloody wishy washy. We're going," she cried, frustrated. 

Neville shuffled his feet embarrassedly. "We could--" 

Ginny cut him off. "What?" she shrieked, her tone taunting. "Are you scared? You've been in the forest before, Neville Frank Longbottom." 

Neville gasped at her words. She had middle-named him! Only parents could do that. Ginny must really be ticked, he thought. 

"I can't believe you'd just let your friends, _my brother,_" she added, "die in there!" Ginny looked murderous. Neville looked away. He didn't want to challenge her, but he didn't want to go into the forest either. 

Cho offered Ginny no support. "Why don't we get a teacher? If they're really in trouble then--" she began reasonably, but Ginny wasn't listening. She had already turned her back on Cho and was headed determinedly toward the forest. She would go without them if she had to. 

Neville sighed and threw his hands up in the air. "Ginny, wait!" he called out and took off after her. The mud splattered up his legs as he ran, following the flash of red hair. He could see that there would be no changing her mind, and there was no point in letting her die alone in the forest. The sound of feet splashing in puddles behind him told him that Cho was following as well. 

"Neville! Neville!" she screamed. 

Ginny's fiery, red head was disappearing into the forest now like a little flame dancing in the midst of a black night. Neville had to squint to make it out. He didn't want to lose her, so he paid Cho no mind and ran harder. Ginny was small and quick. Neville, on the other hand, was stocking and heavyset. All those years of his Grandmother giving him extra portions had not paid off. Ginny was getting away. With every step she was just a little bit farther ahead of him than she had been before. "Ginny!" he called. "Ginny! Slow down!" But his voice was lost in the whistling wind. She didn't hear him. 

"Neville!" It was Cho again. She was just as quick as she was on the ground as she was on a broomstick. She had easily caught up to Neville. Cho grabbed his arm harshly and whirled him around. "Don't," she ordered. "We can't go in there!" 

Neville stopped. He was breathing heavily. "We have to," he panted. "We can't let her go in there alone." 

"Why?" Cho shrieked. She was livid. She could barely form the words to hurl at him. "Why are you Gryffindors so ready to go jumping head first into mortal danger? That's not brave. That's stupid! We're three _students. _Two of us are still in are pajamas! We aren't prepared go out in the rain, let alone fight whatever took the three of them." 

Neville looked down at his muddy feet. He didn't know how to explain this to her. They were losing valuable time, his friends could be dead by now. "They're my friends..." Cho scowled. That wasn't a good enough explanation. He looked up at her earnestly and continued, "Maybe we should have got a teacher." He looked around. He hadn't noticed before, but they were already inside the Forbidden Forest. The trees weren't heavy yet, but they had definitely crossed the line of no return. "But it's too late for that now, isn't it?" He turned to leave. "I have to find Ginny," he tossed over his shoulder as he ran, his eyes roaming the horizon searching for a fleck of red. 

"Why do you love her?" Cho shouted after him. 

Neville stopped dead in his tracks. That wasn't what he had expected her to say. No one was even supposed to _know. _He suddenly felt very naked, despite his golden snitch boxers. Cho Chang had spoken all of two words to him before tonight and suddenly she knew his most private feelings? 

Sure, he loved Ginny. But it didn't matter. She only had eyes for Harry Potter. That didn't stop him from loving her, of course. For years he had mooned over her the way she had mooned over Harry. He knew every freckle on her face. Neville sighed. A couple of months ago, he had resigned himself to the fact that they would never be romantically involved. They were just friends-- very close friends. They shared something together. They understood each other. It was a different kind of love; he knew her better than anyone else. He had never had such a good friend. 

Neville ran his tongue over his teeth. He did that when he was thinking, but only Ginny would recognize it. He didn't know how to explain this. "Ginny has been in love with Harry Potter since she was ten," he began uncertainly, "but he never returned her feelings. Then, by some miracle, he asked her to the Yule Ball two years ago. The only problem was: I had already asked her." His head shook with mirthless laughter. "That was her dream you know? She told me she wanted him to ask her -- that she had always hoped he would. But do you know what she did?" 

Cho suddenly felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. There was something about the haunted look in his eyes that kept her from answering. 

"She told him 'no,' Cho. She turned down the famous Harry Potter, her dream man, for _me_. There aren't that many people who would do that, let alone people who would do that for _me. _She knew I wouldn't be able to find anyone else and that Harry would. She didn't want to hurt me." 

They were quiet for awhile. Both shuffled their feet embarassedly. Cho felt unexplainably guilty. Then Neville started talking again with renewed vigor. "I'm going after her. You can stay here or go tattle to a teacher if you want but I'm going after her." With that, he turned and left. 

He wasn't very far down the trail before Cho trotted up next to him. She didn't look mad anymore. She finally seemed to understand and Neville was glad. They needed to be together if they were going to help Harry, Hermione and Ron. They had to be a team. They walked along in companionable silence, looking for Ginny and trying to feel out the other's mood for a bit before Cho finally spoke up for the first time since his diatribe. 

"How do you know?" she asked. 

Neville looked at her, puzzled. "Know what?" he asked. 

"How do you know that you couldn't have found anyone else to go with you?" 

She avoided his eyes as she said it. His ears turned pink. 

* * * * *

Ron felt a sharp smell smack him in the face. A man in tattered, black robes was returning to the clearing. Hermione and Ron remained silent, hoping he wouldn't do anything to them. They were painfully aware that, since they were tied up, they were entirely at his mercy. He didn't seem to notice them, however; he was too busy inspecting Harry's bindings. 

It was the kidnapper that smelled so foul, Ron realized. He had probably been living out here, wherever here was, for some time now. His skin was white and waxy like someone who hadn't seen the sunlight in a very, very long time. Or someone who was dead, he thought, shivering to himself. The man's robes were in worse shape than Ron's and his hair was long and unkempt. Bathing appeared to be out of the question. 

Ron could see how Harry would have mistaken him for Sirius. He looked like he had been on the run for years. The only difference was that their kidnapper didn't carry himself with the same confident and inviting manner that Sirius did. He seemed to crawl along the ground when he walked and he shook like he was expecting something very frightening to happen. He seemed about as happy to be here as they did. 

Whatever the frightening event was, Ron was sure Harry was about to play an integral role. 

Ron turned to Hermione again. They exchanged concerned looks with their eyes. Hermione's eyes were as round as saucers. She looked like she wanted to tell him something but didn't want to give herself away. Ron hated when that happened. She probably had some useful information to tell him. Although, he couldn't for the life of him, figure out what it could be. 

He racked his brain, but he couldn't think due to the smell coming off their attacker. 

* * * * *

Ginny stood at the end of the trail staring off into the pitch black. Few people ventured into the Forbidden Forest and this was where the beaten path ended. She knew she should go deeper into the forest but she couldn't tell which way that was. It was too dark to see more than a few feet into the forest. On one side of her, there was unknown peril and on the other side there was also unknown peril. The questions and doubts kept swirling in her brain. Which way would lead her to her brother? Would either way? It was possible that she was headed in the wrong direction entirely. Suddenly she wished she hadn't run off without Neville and Cho. It was a decision she had made on an impulse. Perhaps she should have thought about it a little first. 

Strange noises from all sides made her on edge. Was that just the wind or was it something else? Every little thing sounded like a monster she had read about or a kidnapper lurking in the shadows. Ginny looked behind her, willing Neville and Cho to appear. She didn't want to be alone in the forest anymore. At least if they were around she would know if she was hearing actual noises or just going crazy. 

Ginny squinted into the darkness. She would swear there was a tiny, blue person on that tree up ahead. But that was impossible. People weren't that small and they didn't have insect wings. They weren't blue either, now that she thought about it. The figure seemed to be made out of moonlight. Now she was sure she was going crazy. 

That didn't calm her down at all. 

"Ginny!" Ginny's heart leapt at the sound of Neville's voice. They _had _come after her. She could've kissed him! Never in her life had she been so glad to see Cho Chang. "Ginny," Neville said again as they ran up beside her. The relief was evident in his voice. Ginny smiled weakly at him in an unspoken apology. Neville grinned back. She was forgiven, of course. 

Ginny turned to Cho. "Am I glad you guys are here," she admitted. Cho cocked an eyebrow. 

Then her eyes fell on the figure behind Ginny and her mouth formed a pronounced "O." 

"What is it?" Neville asked curiously. Cho pointed at the little, blue girl who was dancing around emitting a high-pitched jabbering. "A pixie." 

"Oh, thank God!" Ginny threw her hands up in the air. "I thought I was having hallucinations." 

The pixie pointed at them and giggled mischievously. She shrieked something unintelligible in her pixie language and laughed again. 

"It's kind of cute." Interested, Ginny stepped forward. Now that she knew she wasn't nutters, it was far more intriguing. "I think it's a baby." 

"I wouldn't get too close. They can be a great bit of trouble," Cho warned. But she didn't sound like she believed what she was saying -- only quoting a textbook. How could something so little be trouble? 

Behind them, Neville snorted. He wasn't enthralled by the little pixie the way the girls were. "Tell me about it. One time, Lockhart brought some of them to class and--" 

Ginny and Cho weren't listening. The pixie had begun dancing along a gnarled tree root. They squealed girlishly in delight. Neville rolled his eyes. 

Just then, more squealing assaulted their ears. It wasn't girlish at all. It wasn't even human. The trio looked around. It was coming from the left of them. Slowly, pinpricks of blue light emerged from the darkness. "More pixies," Cho breathed warily." They were coming closer. Now they looked like blue fireflies in the night. The baby pixie started squeaking incessantly and clapping her minute, pixie hands. She was ecstatic to see her friends. 

"Uh, I think it's time we make our retreat." Neville motioned for the girls to follow him. They didn't appear to hear him over the din. 

The pixies swarmed around them and buzzed excitedly to one another. The trio looked nervously at one another. One baby pixie they could handle, but a mass of them was an entirely different story. Neville backed up slowly, trying not to catch the attention of the giggling creatures. He remembered all too well how hard they could be to control. 

The baby pixie flapped her wings tentatively and rose shakily into the air like a child just learning to walk. She shouted something in pixie talk at Cho and Ginny as she flew by. Neville was shocked to see her land on his head. She laughed shrilly from her perch as she did a little jig. Neville felt his stomach drop into his feet. He had a bad feeling about this even though the pixies didn't seem angry. In fact, they seemed to think this was a game. 

A small group of pixies broke away from the swarm. They flew over to the baby and Neville, who tried to escape but to no avail. They were all over him now. They moved quickly. So quickly that Cho and Ginny didn't have time to react when the pixies seized Neville by the ears and lifted him into the air. The swarm chuckled heartily. 

"Hey! Let me go!" Neville yelled. They didn't listen. He had a feeling they probably wouldn't have even if they could understand him. 

The pixies flew higher into the tree-covered sky. Ginny and Cho watched in horror as the pixies took off into the night. Neville was almost out of sight by the time Ginny snatched Cho's hand and began to run after them. The pixies were much faster than they expected. Neville's shouts were becoming harder and harder to hear. Soon the only thing they had to follow was the occasional flash of gold from his Snitch boxer shorts and the shrill laughter of the pixies. Eventually, that too faded, leaving Cho and Ginny lost and alone in the heart of the forest. 

* * * * * 

Neville yelled for Ginny and Cho until he was hoarse. He couldn't hear their footsteps crashing through the underbrush anymore. The pixies refused to put him down. They giggled whenever he asked. It was that perpetual laughter that was driving him off his rocker. He wanted to throttle them; of course, he would need very small hands to do that. 

The pixies were now entertaining themselves with a new game, Hit Neville with Every Branch We Pass. It was quite painful. Neville was sure he was going to have scars all over his legs after this. He grunted as another, particularly thorny branch slapped him in the face. 

"All right! That was fun, how about you guys put me down now?" he suggested. The pixies squealed and continued flying into trees. 

He had a plan now. It wasn't a particularly good plan, but it was a plan none the less. Neville felt another tree whack him in the face. He reached out in an effort to grab something- anything that he could hold on to. His hands fell on a bendy branch. Neville quickly seized the branch and managed to twist himself out of the pixies' grasp. 

They stopped flying forward and began fluttering around his head, jeering at him. "Oh, shut up," Neville moaned. The branch wasn't that sturdy and he found himself in even greater danger. He was going to fall to the ground! Stupidly, he looked down. Not only was it a long way to fall, there were dozens of pointy branches blocking his path. 

The pixies thought this was the funniest thing they ever saw. They giggled happily as Neville scrambled around, searching helplessly for a way to keep himself from falling. He noticed a thick, old tree limb seconds before he heard the twig holding him up snap underneath his weight. 

At first, he didn't even realize that he was falling. Then it literally hit him in the form of a heavy limb across his bum. The ground was rapidly approaching. Neville didn't have long to think of a way out of his predicament. He tried to grab a branch, but that didn't work. Finally he did the only thing he could think of. He grabbed his wand and pointed it at himself. 

"_Wingardium Leviosa_!" he shouted the levitation spell. He felt a pull at the back of his stomach, like he was caught on a string, as he rose higher into the air. _Wow, _he thought, _it worked. _Up until that point, he had only used that spell on feathers. Now he was rather proud of himself for thinking of it. "_Finite Incantatum,_" he hissed when he felt he was at a proper distance to the ground. 

Neville landed with his ankle at an awkward position. He felt sharp pain course through his leg to his knee. He cursed a lot then sat on a tree root to examine it. His ankle didn't appear broken. Thank goodness for small mercies. It was a bit tender. He wouldn't be running off half cocked into any more forests tonight. No more running, period. 

He was shocked out of his reverie by the sound of approaching footsteps. Neville tried unsuccessfully to hide himself in the underbrush. The bushes just weren't thick enough to cover all of him. He strained his ears to hear over the pounding in his chest. He could only imagine what kind of horrid creature it was.

It didn't sound quite like footsteps when it got closer. They struck the earth too often and too hard to be human. Still, it sounded familiar. Like... hoof beats! He jumped up with a start. Neville peered out into the forest. A large beast was bucking above him. First he saw hoofs that connected to the horse's body and finally the torso and head of a man. 

"Oh," he murmured more to himself than anyone else. "Centaur." 

* * * * *

Ginny fell to the ground in a heap. She couldn't make her legs run anymore. She felt horrible and defeated. She fought to keep the large tears threatening to spill over her cheeks back. They had lost Neville and they hadn't managed to find the missing trio yet. Now what? 

Cho stopped and searched the skies. She suddenly looked very tall to the seated Ginny. "Did you see which way they took Neville?" Cho asked regally. Ginny wondered why she wasn't out of breath like she was. 

"No," Ginny answered darkly. 

"Which way should we go?" Cho apparently hadn't heard the despair in Ginny's voice. 

"It doesn't matter," she answered mournfully. "Neville could be anywhere. Harry, Ron and Hermione are probably already dead. I don't know where we are. And there's no way to tell which way will bring up back to Hogwarts." 

Cho sighed. "I see..." 

Ginny felt anger boiling inside of her. Anger at the situation, at the forest, at herself and now at Cho. "Do you? Do you see?" she demanded spitefully. "Because all I see is people picking pieces of our mangled bodies out of this bloody forest for weeks!" She was on a very short fuse and didn't need this from Cho Chang. 

Cho shuddered. She was obviously thinking about all the horrible things that lived in the forest. The kind of things that could mangle a pretty, young girl's body. "I here there's werewolves here." 

Ginny chortled. "I wish," she spat sarcastically. "It's not the full moon, maybe they could help us." She thought of Professor Lupin. He was the only werewolf she knew and if all the others were anything like him then she wished there was a whole pack of werewolves living in the forest. 

"There's no need to get snippy!" Cho turned on her angrily. 

Ginny laughed heartily. "Really? You don't think freezing your bum off out in a forest filled with murderous creatures while three of your friends and your _brother _are probably dying painful deaths is a good reason?" She narrowed her eyes menacingly. "Then do tell, what is a good reason to get snippy?" 

Ginny suddenly felt like crying again. Cho had the nerve to look concerned. "It's all my fault," the younger girl wailed as the sadness over-powered her. "If we die in here it's because I ran off after them without thinking. I'm so stupid!" 

Cho sad down next to Ginny and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Ginny, if your first reaction to danger is to go help the people you care about, that's not a bad thing. There should be more people like you out there," she said softly and soothingly. Cho smiled supportively and conjured warmer robes for Ginny to wear. At least she could solve one of Ginny's problems. 

"Thanks," Ginny sobbed. The robes were scratchy, and not nearly as nice as Cho's, but she wasn't going to complain about that. She just wanted to go home, to have things be the way they were only a few hours ago. She wished she were warm in her bed right at that moment, dreaming about Harry. 

The girls sat in silence for awhile while Ginny cried. Cho continued to look for Neville in the sky, which proved futile. Eventually she just gave up. A few tears managed to find their way down her face, but Cho abruptly brushed them aside. She really didn't want Ginny Weasley to see her cry. 

"Why do you hate me?" Cho asked abruptly as her thoughts shifted. 

"I don't _hate _you," Ginny replied surely. "I just dislike you a great deal." 

Cho giggled. "All right then, why do you dislike me a great deal?" 

"I'm jealous," she answered simply. At least she knew the root of the problem. "Harry likes you and not me." 

Cho looked away. "Harry doesn't even _know_ me." Ginny looked at her quizzically. What did she mean? "We never talk much on account of him turning bright red then running away whenever he sees me," she explained. 

"Yeah, well," Ginny sighed, "he's had a crush on you since he laid eyes on you." 

Cho shook her head sadly. "What kind of relationship is _that_? He takes one look at me then swoons." Ginny blushed. That's what happened when she first saw Harry. Cho didn't seem to notice her discomfort and continued thoughtfully. "I want to know him before I date him. I don't want to be that girl that goes out with guys because they're famous or rich or handsome." She laughed again as a funny notion struck her. "Because if those are the standards, I'm going to end up with Draco Malfoy." 

Ginny giggled too. "You'll have to fight Pansy Parkinson for him." 

Cho chuckled caught up in the complete absurdity of the moment. "I could take her!" she declared proudly then made a slapping motion, showing how she'd smack Pansy around. 

Ginny nearly fell over she laughed so hard. There was just something about the image of Cho Chang getting in a chick fight with Pansy Parkinson that she found highly amusing. 

"Besides," Cho whispered once their laughter had subsided and they came back down to Earth. "I haven't been able to date anyone since Cedric died." Cho got a gloomy, far off look on her face. 

Ginny shuffled her feet uncomfortably. "How are you doing?" she asked, feeling guilty. 

"I'm all right. I'm sick of people asking me that." Ginny shifted in her seat again. "Sorry," Cho apologized quickly. "It's nice to know that you care how I'm doing and all but no one _really _wants to hear about it." Ginny put a friendly arm around Cho's shoulders and let her talk without interruption. "When I think about it, I get sick to my stomach. So I try not the think about it and just get on with my life but then I feel guilty because, well, because Ced _can't _get on with his life. But I know he wouldn't want me to be guilty. He'd want me to move on. He just wanted everyone to be happy. Then I'm so angry. He never did anything to anyone. He didn't deserve that." She sighed. There didn't seem to be an escape to this circle of depression but she had clearly given it a lot of thought already. "So on one hand I'm upset, on another hand I'm guilty and on another I'm angry and on still another, I'm confused." 

"Wow," Ginny whispered not knowing what to say. "You have a lot of hands." 

Cho snorted. 

* * * * *

Neville stared up at the massive form of the centaur. It had an appaloosa body and long brown hair. Neville couldn't move for fear (and also the pain in his leg, but mostly the fear). The horse-man looked down at him curiously. Then, seemingly unimpressed, he turned his attentions to the Heavens. 

"Venus is out tonight," it said sagely. 

"Uh, excuse me?" Neville asked nervously. He had never spoken with a centaur before, although he heard they were quite intelligent. This one just didn't seem to make any sense.

"Venus is out," it repeated. The centaur peered at Neville for the second time. It was as if it was seeing him for the first time, however. "You are the Longbottom boy," the centaur observed. 

"Y..yes," Neville stammered. He wondered how the centaur knew his name. How could that be? Centaurs didn't get involved with humans. The only person he had ever heard of them knowing was Harry. And Harry was famous! Was _Neville's _future written in the stars somewhere? That was odd, he was no one special. "Uh, what are you looking at?" he asked curiously. 

"Venus is out," it replied simply. 

Not pleased with this answer, Neville decided to try again. "How do you know me?"

"It's not my place." The centaur seemed to think that he should have known that already. It was now quite perturbed. 

Neville gawked. So there _was _something that the centaur wasn't telling him! It seemed to take pity on Neville after noticing his lost expression. "You shouldn't be out here," it whispered as if it was afraid someone would hear him.

The boy flushed. No, he wasn't supposed to be out in the forest. "I know it's dangerous out here--" Neville began to protest but the centaur cut him off.

It shook its maned head. It wasn't that. "You had better get going if you want to save your girls." 

"My, my girls?" Neville asked. He didn't have any girls...Suddenly fear gripped him. Ginny and Cho! They were in danger. That's what the centaur was trying to tell him! 

The centaur had returned to examining the stars. He was looking at something else now. "The ritual is almost complete," it noted then looked at Neville again. Neville didn't have much time to wonder what ritual it was talking about because the centaur made motion to leave the clearing. "Good luck, boy!" it called.

Neville turned to leave as well. He was a good ways away from the clearing when he heard the centaur whisper cryptically, "When the three fight the body dies." Or it could've been something else, Neville didn't have very good hearing, but that's what it sounded like. 

He knew now why so many people hated centaurs. They knew so much and told you so little. What ritual? What body? And who were the three? Was that Harry, Ron and Hermione? Were they going to die? He plunged onward into the darkness of the forest. He didn't have time to think about this now; Ginny and Cho were in danger. That was the only part he had understood, and it was in the forefront of his mind. 

* * * * *

Ginny was dozing preciously on Cho's shoulder as Cho craned her neck in search of Neville. She did no more than that out of complete, utter defeat and the fear of waking Ginny. Cho sighed. She really had no idea how they could find Neville, let alone save their other friends. Pixies were unpredictable. Her eyelids were getting heavier and heavier. Ginny's rhythmic breathing was starting to lull Cho off as well but she fought to stay awake. It just wasn't smart to fall asleep in the middle of the Forbidden Forest. 

Out of the corner of her eye, Cho saw a ribbon of darkness advance on them from the shadows. She jerked to a fully alert state. Had she been dreaming or had something really moved out there? It looked to be nothing more than a shadow. Heart pounding in her chest, Cho gently shook Ginny awake. 

"Ginny," she murmured. "Ginny wake up. There's something out there." 

"Whazzit?" Ginny asked. She opened one bleary eye and looked at Cho. At first she seemed confused as to where they were and what was going on, then she jumped, becoming completely conscious of her surroundings. "What do you think it is?" Ginny asked under her breath. 

Cho shrugged and looked again. There was definitely something moving along the root of the nearest tree. She couldn't quite make out what it was. It blended in perfectly with the darkness and moved like it was swimming through the shadows. 

Then, as if in slow motion, the creature slithered out of the shade and into a patch of moonlight. Ginny emitted a high pitched squeaking sound of fear. Her skin was as pale as paper. Cho knew she looked just the same. 

It was a huge, black snake. And it didn't look happy. The snake spit and hissed at them threateningly. The girls tensed as they looked it right in its eyes. In its _six _eyes. This wasn't any ordinary snake. It had three heads jutting out from its scaly body. Each head looked meaner than the first. 

Cho shuddered. "It's a runespoor," she whispered to her friend. This apparently meant nothing to Ginny so Cho patiently explained. She had the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them book memorized. "The Runespoor originated in the small African country of Burkina Faso. A three-headed serpent, the Runespoor commonly reaches a length of six or seven feet. Livid orange with black stripes, the Runespoor is only too easy to spot--" 

Ginny hushed her. "All right. I get it. You could've just said 'it's a big mean snake with three heads" you know?"

Cho gave her patronizing look. "Runespoors aren't _usually _aggressive." 

Ginny looked form the large, hissing snake to Cho. "Really? Could've fooled me." 

The snake lunged forward at the girls interrupting their conversation. They shrieked and dove out of the way. The snake seemed to be confused, unsure of which witch to go after. Moments later it got a third distraction. 

The crashing of bushes and heavy breathing alerted everyone in the clearing to Neville's approaching form. He pulled up behind the runespoor, gasping for oxygen. 

"Neville!" Ginny cried joyously. She was about to give him a huge hug when the runespoor got in her way and sent her back up against a tree. She grabbed a fallen branch and shook it at the snake menacingly. 

"What is it?" Neville asked, backing away slowly. 

"It's a Runespoor," Ginny answered, as if she had known that all along and gave him a look to tell him he was inferior for not knowing. Cho stifled a giggle. 

"Why does it have _three _heads?" he asked. After all, one should be sufficient. 

Cho, knowledge girl, spoke up again from across he clearing. "They each have a different personality. The left is the planner, the middle is the dreamer and the right is the critic." She jumped away quickly as it dove at her. "The right head," she explained, much to her chagrin as she was closest to the right head, "is the only one that's venomous."

Ginny relaxed a bit, realizing she was safe for the moment. "How do you know all this?" 

Cho scoffed. "I actually _do _my schoolwork." 

Ginny was slightly offended by that statement but decided to shrug it off. She _did _her schoolwork but she was two years behind Cho. "No, no. I mean how does one know about the different personalities of the heads?" 

"Oh." Cho jumped out of the way again. " Parselmouths can talk to them, can't they?" 

That made sense. The three friends proceeded to play an intricate game of 'Keep Away from the Runespoor' while it continued to lunge at them. It seemed as though each head wanted to go after the person closest to it but couldn't since the other heads were holding it back. 

"What do you think it wants?" Ginny piped up again. 

Neville sighed exasperatedly. "I think it wants to kill us, Ginny!" he shouted. 

"But Cho said they're not usually vicious!" Ginny retorted angrily. Neville looked to Cho for confirmation. She nodded her head. 

"Dark wizards keep them as pets sometimes," Cho added gloomily. They were all beginning to realize what was going on. 

"So a dark wizard sent this big snake to kill us." Neville concluded. "Great, now my day is complete." 

"But only parselmouths can talk to it," Ginny thought out loud. There had been only three parselmouths at Hogwarts since its inception and only two were living. "Harry wouldn't send a monster after us..." Ginny's voice trailed off. They all had reached the same conclusion. There was only one other person it could be: Lord Voldemort. 

* * * * *

"Well that's friendly," Neville grumbled. He glared down at Voldemort's snake. "He couldn't have sent, say, beautiful women to lure us away..." Neville's voice trailed off, Cho and Ginny were looking daggers at him. Apparently, they rather preferred the snake to beautiful women. Neville sighed. Where were other guys when you needed them? 

"OH!" Ginny exclaimed, realization dawning over her tiny features. 

"What?" an unenthused Neville wondered. He was still bitter about the beautiful women. 

"Voldemort didn't send the snake after _us_. It's guarding something!" She grinned proudly. 

"Like what?" Neville wasn't getting the point. 

Cho gave him a condescending look. "Three people are mysteriously kidnapped and hidden somewhere in the forest and you have to ask what it's guarding?" 

"Oh," Neville whispered. He was feeling quite stupid now. 

"That means we're getting close!" Ginny grinned broadly. Suddenly, their situation didn't seem so hopeless anymore. They were close. She could almost feel Ron's presence with her. And perhaps Hermione's as well because everything was starting to make sense and she was rapidly forming a plan. "I have an idea," she announced. 

"Does it hurt?" Cho asked playfully and smiled sweetly at Ginny. 

The redhead glared. "No," she answered tonelessly. "If the right head's fangs are poisonous, then all we have to do is get the right side so mad at one of the other heads that it bites it. Then the Runespoor will die." 

"When the three fight the body dies!" Neville exclaimed, proud of himself for finally understanding what the centaur had meant. 

"What?" Cho and Ginny demanded in unison. 

He motioned behind him. "I met a centaur and he told me that when the three fight the body dies," he admitted sheepishly. 

"And you were going to tell us this when?" Cho asked peevishly. 

"I dunno," Neville pretended to be thinking about it. "I was gonna wait until we were all dead and then curse myself out for not realizing sooner but this seems like a better plan." He winked at Ginny. "I didn't know what the heck he was talking about until now, Cho," he grumbled defensively. 

The three didn't need much more planning. It was obvious that the right head, the critic, was easily annoyed by the other two heads and vice versa. Cho dared to stand right in front of the critic while Ginny distracted the left head, the planner. The critic made motion to bit Cho but was pulled back when the planner moved toward Ginny. The two heads began to hiss and spit at one another while the third head sat idly and stared dreamily at Neville. 

"I think he likes you," Ginny teased. Neville snorted. 

Cho watched the other two heads intently. "I wonder what they're saying." 

Neville and Ginny looked at each other and shrugged. If she really wanted to know... 

"You bloody bassssstard," Neville hissed in a comic imitation of a snake voice. "I almossst had her." 

Ginny assumed a high pitched taunting voice of the critic. "You did not. You sssssssuck." 

"I'll get her." 

"You couldn't get pointy earsss at a Sssstar Trek convention." They flinched as the planner plunged forward and bit the critic. "Ow! Hey! Sssstop that! Unfang me! That hurtssss a great deal!" The critic quickly retaliated. "Take that! And that! And some of thissss!" 

Neville chuckled. "Ow! Ouch! Ey! Argh!" The critic was easily beating the planner. It swiftly dug its sharp fangs into the scaly neck of the planner. "Oh. That's gonna leave a mark." 

The planner seized up as the poison started to flow through its system. Cho shuddered imagining that happening to one of them. It looked very painful. Then the dreamer was ripped out of its imaginary world when it too started to seize. Finally the critic felt its own poison flowing through its body. Only then did it realize it had made a deadly mistake. The body of the Runespoor gave one final shake before collapsing lifelessly to the ground. 

The trio gaped at the motionless body. It was dead. It was really dead. They had beaten it. They grinned and high fived each other.

"So what else did this centaur say?" Cho asked abruptly once the euphoria had died down. 

Neville was caught off guard. "What?" He blinked. "Oh. He said that you two were in trouble and I'd have to hurry if I wanted to help. And," he added mysteriously, "that the ritual was almost complete. I thought he was talking about you two but obviously that wasn't it." 

"Odd..." Cho looked thoughtful. "There must be some ritual that Harry, Ron and Hermione were kidnapped for." 

"But if it's not complete yet then we still have time to help them," Ginny reminded her. 

"Right," Cho turned to Ginny, "but we still don't know how to find them." 

"The Runespoor was here, so we must be getting close," Ginny pointed out. 

Neville watched the two of them bounce ideas off each other. Each time he opened his mouth to add something they cut him off. He felt out of the loop. The two girls were on a roll. 

"Well, if dark wizards are doing this, they'd want to get as far away from Dumbledore as possible," Cho reasoned. 

"And put a lot of dark creatures in between them," Ginny agreed. "That would mean going deeper into the forest." 

"But we don't know which way that is." 

Ginny looked down at her feet. She did that when she was doing some major thinking. She focused on a twig that was dug into the hard soil on the ground. There were tiny bugs running along it. _Probably scurrying to get out of the rain, _she thought. Then for the first time, she noticed something: it wasn't raining anymore. She listened closely. She could still hear the wind roaring above the trees. Ginny looked up. It was still too dark for her too see how thick the canopy was, but she could tell that they must be deep in the heart of the forest if the canopy was keeping _all _the rain out.

"Cho!" she shrieked. "It's driest where the trees are heaviest. We can figure out which was too go by how wet the ground is!" 

Cho clapped her mouth over her mouth. Of course! Why hadn't they thought of that sooner? It was so obvious. The girls squealed in joy and relief. They hugged each other. Then squealed some more. 

Neville rolled his eyes. Girls. 

"I liked it better when you two hated each other." He paused. "Hey, why don't you hate each other?" 

Cho narrowed her eyes. "We've bonded over some quality death time," she replied sarcastically. Ginny giggled into her hand. 

Neville didn't laugh however. "Huh?" He scratched his head. 

"Nevermind," Ginny sighed. Then she brightened. "Let's go find out friends!" she cheered. 

"Yeah!" the other two cheered back. 

* * *


	4. The Killing Curse

****

Disclaimer: As always, characters and settings were created by JK Rowling not me. They do not belong to me either. I am making no profit from this story. No copyright infringement intended. 

Part III: The Killing Curse

Hermione struggled with her bindings. She twisted her arms back and forth, leaving faint red marks on her wrists. The ropes were magical, she was sure. She thought she had read something about magical ropes in one of her books, but there was too much other information clouding her brain. It had been over two years ago that she had read this specific passage. She commanded her brain to work. This was what she was supposed to do. She was supposed to know the answers. But for once in her life, she didn't. She didn't know how they could get out of this. 

Ron was looking at her expectantly, almost reverently. She couldn't meet his gaze. He wanted to know what to do. But how could she tell him when she didn't know herself? They just had to face the hard, cold facts: they were trapped. They didn't know how to get out of this and, worst of all, there was nothing they could do about it. 

Their attacker was still bent over the altar where Harry was tied. He was making sure that the boy was still tightly bound and couldn't esecape . Hermione could see the man's mouth moving. He was saying something to Harry but she couldn't make out what it was. Whatever it was, it gave her a ill feeling in the pit of her stomach. Harry only moaned. He remained in his unconscious state, unable to give Hermione any clue as to what was happening. 

The attacker laughed, obviously amused at their predicament. He spoke again. This time, Hermione heard him clearly. "I wonder how you're going to get out of this one, Harry Potter," he jeered.

Hermione felt like crying. Even in his sleeping state, Harry appeared to be in a great deal of pain. He kept thrashing from side to side but couldn't free himself from the magical ropes that held him down. This only served to amuse their attacker more. He tightened the ropes again. "Oh no. You can't leave now, Harry," he sneered vindictively. "You have a ritual to attend." 

Ron and Hermione watched in horror, it was like it was in slow motion, as the attacker produced from the folds in his robes a shiny, silver knife. It was like a bolt of lightening in the cold, dark night. The jewels in its handles caught what little of the eerie, blue light that filled the clearing and danced across the trees. Hermione was now sure they were trees. They were in the Forbidden Forest. A lot of good that information did them. 

The attacker raised the knife high into the air preparing to plunge in downward. Down into _Harry, _Hermione realized. "No!" she cried out desperately. Ron's wild eyes tried to silence her but the damage had been done. 

For the first time, their attacker turned his attention to the pair bound on ground and they could see his face. His sick, dirty features glared at them. His thin mouth curved into a malevolent smile. He looked nothing like a man. Certainly, nothing like a man they had known. He was now ragged and diseased by Dark Magic. There was something about him that reminded Hermione of the Burrow, being held up by magic except this was different. It was evil. His eyes were the most telling. They were no longer full of fear, but now filled with dark obsession. There was no question that he was quite mad. 

In fact, it was only after he said, "So, you're awake," that Hermione and Ron even recognized him as the man that had once roamed the halls of Hogwarts. 

* * * 

"No!" Hermione's shout reverberated throughout the entire forest like a shotgun blast. The three friends stopped dead in their tracks, their ears searching for another sound that would lead them in the right direction. But the forest was once again plunged into silence. There was nothing but the sound her scream left in their ears. 

"That was Hermione," Neville breathed barely above a whisper. His eyes round with fear that he was struggling to keep back. He wouldn't let that scared, little boy surface now, not when his friends needed him. 

"She sounds like she's in trouble," Cho murmured, knowing it was a very stupid thing to say. That much had been obvious to all of them. The two of them stared at one another, shaking and praying that someone would come help them. 

Ginny had a different idea. She thought if she could just get to Hermione then she would be able to do something to help. The cry didn't scare her, it gave her hope. "Let's go!" she cried as she ran off in the direction the shout had come from. Once again, she did not wait to see if the other two were behind her or not. She knew them well enough to know that they were. They wouldn't let her face this alone. 

The branches cracked under her feet as she scrambled deeper into the forest and deeper into danger. It was no wonder that all the Weasleys were put in Gryffindor. When someone they cared about was in trouble, they were there without question. Ginny was no different. She was smaller and feminine but no different. She listened to the sounds of the forest as she ran, hoping that Hermione would call out again. She wanted to yell back and tell the older girl that she was coming. But she knew that would be stupid. It would give away the element of surprise. That was all the three students had. 

Then she heard it, a chilling voice that made her stomach twist into knots. "So, you're awake." 

Ginny held up her hands to stop Neville and Cho behind her. She motioned for them to be quiet. The voice was coming from a clearing up ahead. A large oak tree blocked their full view but Ginny could clearly make out her brother's flaming red hair even through the darkness. Her heart leapt into her throat at the sight. He was _alive. _On the ground next to him was another shadowy figure which she presumed was Hermione. They were tied up. But _alive. _

"We should untie them," Cho hissed. It would be easier to defeat whoever had captured them as five instead of three. 

Ginny nodded and took a step forward but Neville held her back. Sensibly, he pulled out the Invisibility cloak and covered the three of them with it. Ginny had forgotten she had it in her haste. Once again, she was glad he was there. 

Cho shivered despite the cloak. She wrapped her arms around herself absently. This place, the clearing, it wasn't like the other places in the forest. It was worse. And it wasn't like the rest of the forest was friendly and inviting either. She could almost feel all the Dark Magic in the air. It was like a large shadowy hand reaching out and holding her tightly so she couldn't move. She hoped they could rescue the others quickly. She wanted to get out of there, and fast. Somewhere in the back of her head she realized they couldn't win a fight against a Dark wizard there. The forces were not lined up in their favor. 

The trio silently padded through the thick underbrush hoping they wouldn't be heard. Luckily, Ron was shouting at his attacker, making it hard for anyone inside the clearing to hear anything going on outside of it. 

"It can't be!" Ron stuttered. "You're dead!" 

Even from looking at the back of his head, Neville could tell that he was grinning devilishly. "I think you're wrong about _that_, Mr. Weasley." The attacker extended his hand and flexed his fingers dramatically to show how alive he was. It only made Hermione and Ron draw back in horror. His hand was like that of a corpse. The skin was sunken and gray. It appeared to only be clinging to the bones with the thinnest thread.

Under the cloak, the rescuers trotted by him undetected. Ginny's heart soared. She was so close to Ron she could reach out and touch him. It would be all right, she told herself. All they had to do was reach Ron and Hermione and everything would be all right. 

Cho turned around for a look at the kidnapper. Ginny and Neville were so caught up in saving their friends they didn't care who it was. They probably just figured it was some random Death Eater. But she wanted to know what she was up against. When her eyes fell on the man standing before her she nearly fell out from under the cloak. 

"Ohmigod," she hissed under her breath. She quickly covered her mouth with her hand and prayed that he hadn't heard her. His manic eyes were fixated on his hand. He hadn't. But Neville and Ginny had. They whirled around in alarm, wondering what had caused Cho's reaction. When they saw him, their invisible mouths hung open. 

It was Profesorr Quirrell.

"I thought I was seeing things before," Ron stammered on behalf of all of them. "You're _dead_,"he repeated. "I mean you look dead. And you sure smell dead." Ron inched away from the former Professor. He smelled something awful. 

"Did you really think my Master would leave me when I had been such a faithful servant?" Quirrell's eyes flashed dangerously. "He came back for me." 

"You mean, he used Dark Magic to bring you back?" Hermione shuddered. She could only imagine the horrible things that much magic of any kind, let alone evil magic, could do to your mind and body. In testament to that fact, Quirrell appeared to be only a shadow of his form self, like a zombie only madder. What was more, she was certain only very powerful and very foolish wizards would attempt to raise someone from the grave. If possible, Voldemort was even crazier than she had thought before. 

Quirrell turned around, bored with his two captives, and returned his attention to Harry. "What are you going to do with us?" Hermione spoke up trying to keep him away from her friend. She hoped to keep him busy so he couldn't hurt Harry further. 

"You? Nothing." He shrugged. "The Dark Lord has no plans for you. He'll probably just let me kill you." Quirrell didn't shake or stutter like he used to. His crazy eyes looked quite excited. The rest of him did not. He looked as though it took a lot to keep him upright, like the world was moving to fast for him. 

"Have you been living in the forest all this time?" Ron asked astounded. 

Quirrell nodded but gave no further response. He busied himself with pretending they weren't there. 

"That obviously hasn't done wonders for his sanity," Ron hissed to Hermione. She agreed. "You're a nutter," Ron said louder so Quirrell could hear him. Quirrell began to cackle diabolically. "Yeah, laugh manically. That'll make me think you're sane," Ron grumbled sarcastically. 

His stomach leapt into his throat when he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. He hadn't heard anything behind him. He had visions of all the horrible creatures from the forest sneaking up on them. Quirrell would probably just let them die. He slowly turned around to see what it was but no on was there. Then he heard a voice. It wasn't at all what he had been expecting. Rather than killing him, it gave him the impression that they might survive. 

"Shh," Ginny whispered in her brother's ear to ease his panic. He felt three pairs of hands begin to untangle the ropes. 

He turned to look searchingly at Hermione who blinked at him uncomprehending. He wanted to tell her what was going on but couldn't with Quirrell standing only a few feet away. He wished he were telepathic; then she would understand. He willed his thoughts to enter her brain. That never worked. He had to make it plain somehow. They couldn't draw attention to themselves while they were being untied. Just let him whisper creepy things at Harry for awhile, Ron thought. 

Hermione shook her head. She knew he was trying to tell her something but couldn't for the life of her figure out what it could be. She looked at him intently hoping for some clue. Ron glanced at Quirrell. He had his back to them. Feeling braver, he silently mouthed the words 'Ginny's here' then motioned his head backwards to where his sister stood. 

Her mouth formed a large 'O.' 

"What are you two doing?" Quirrell shouted angrily. Ron and Hermione started. They hadn't notice him turn around. He was now glaring at them expectantly. They tried to look innocent. 

"N-nothing," Hermione lied. 

"What'd you say to her, Weasley?" He grabbed Ron roughly by the collar and jerked him forward. 

Ron yelled out in surprise. He only barely held back a curse. He couldn't feel the fingers untying him anymore. He had been pulled out of their grasp. "Nothing! I swear!" he shouted back, hoping that would be sufficient. 

Quirrell didn't seem satisfied but he dropped Ron back to the ground anyway. He stumbled and fell backward. Under the strength of Quirrell's shove Ron couldn't keep his body from hitting the three people behind him. His head fell backwards and collided with his sister's arm. Ginny yelped involuntarily. The cloak fell from her body, exposing her milky, white hand. She hastily recovered the cloak and hide underneath it again but it was too late. 

Quirrell's eyes went all white. He stared intently at the spot Ginny was standing. He had seen her. "W-who's there?" he yelled a slight edge of panic in his voice.

Ginny didn't know what to do. She had been spotted. They couldn't run and leave the others alone with this madman. Maybe she could step out from under the cloak and hope Neville and Cho still had time to help Ron and Hermione. Quirrell might think she was the only one there. She wondered what Harry would do. He'd probably sacrifice himself, she concluded. 

"It's just me," she whispered her voice shaking as she emerged from under the silvery cloak. She could hear Neville and Cho gasp behind her. She tried to act like they weren't there. 

Ron was horrified. His eyes were wide with fear. He looked from his baby sister then to Quirrell who was eyeing the girl suspiciously. God, if she died tonight his Mum would never speak to him again. 

"Another Weasley, eh?" He noted her red hear and freckles. Ginny flushed and avoided his gaze. "I don't remember you..." Ginny had started the year after his death. He turned to Ron. "How many of you are there?" he jeered. "Like cockroaches..." he muttered. Ron and Ginny balled up their fists angrily. They hated it when people insulted their family. 

"_Expelliarmus_!" Quirrell bellowed. Ginny's wand flew from her hand into his. He inspected it, sneering at the tape being used to hold the tip on. "Who else is under that lovely Invisibility cloak of yours?" he asked twirling a wand in each hand. 

"N-no one," Ginny lied. She mentally prodded Neville and Cho to hurry up and untie Ron and Hermione. Once they were free the five of them might be able to do something to stop the former professor.

"Oh no?" he asked curiously. Ginny looked away. Of course he knew she was lying. If no one was under the cloak then it would be a visible, silvery fabric. Ginny hadn't counted on him thinking logically. Quirrell cocked his head to one side and smiled wickedly. "_Crucio," _he said cheerily. 

Two jets of light flew out of both Ginny and Quirrell's wand. Hermione and Ron screamed out in pain as the Cruciatus Curse gripped them. They shook on the ground like they were having seizures. Ginny couldn't help but notice that _her _wand was the one pointed at her brother. "Stop!" she shrieked, her eyes riveted to him writhing around in pain. 

But he didn't stop. The screaming continued. Ginny buried her head in her hands. She couldn't watch. She wanted to cry. This was her fault. It was _all _her fault. She should've just stayed under the cloak. He wouldn't have been able to torture both of them if he didn't have her wand. She just wasn't very good at this hero thing. 

"That's enough!" yelled another more commanding voice. Ginny almost didn't recognize it. 

She turned to see Neville and Cho step out from under the cloak. Cho was looking daggers at Quirrell. Neville didn't appear to notice that Cho had just revealed them. He stared at Ron and Hermione, his face pale with fear but his eyes unseeing. It wasn't Ron and Hermione he was looking at. He heard the same screams but he saw someone else in his head. Quirrell stopped the spell when recognized the duo, the shock evident on his face. 

"Well, well, well," Quirrell taunted. "If it isn't Mr. Longbotton. I never would've thought you'd be stupid enough to come out here to get your friends. You never were very brave, Neville. But then again you never were very bright either." Neville blinked. He turned to look at Quirrell for the first time. His hands were shaking. Ginny cursed under her breath. Neville's eyes betrayed his feelings: he believed Quirrell. He had always be susceptible to other people's opinions. They preyed on his own self doubts. Ginny wanted to shout that he was wrong. Neville was one of the smartest people she knew. Even while the former professor was speaking, Neville was smart enough to put his wand in his pocket so Quirrell couldn't use the disarming charm on him. 

"People always wondered how you got in Gryffindor," he continued. "It must have just been by default. You'd be skewered alive in Slytherin. You could never be a Hufflepuff because to hear Severus Snape tell it you weren't a very hard worker either." Neville's lip quivered at the mention of Snape. "And you certainly weren't Ravenclaw material--" 

"Stop it," Neville pleaded. 

"Oh.? Does this _bother _you Neville?" To his credit, Neville tried to look brave. He shook his head. "No? How about this! _Crucio!" _he cried again. Hermione and Ron screamed. Quirrell chuckled. "They remind you of _someone else _I daresay."

He took a step closer so he could lean out and stroke Neville's fat cheek with his withered hand. "Yes, that's it. Your _poor _parents." 

Neville closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. "Stop it." He looked like he was about to cry. "Stop it or I'll..."

"You'll what? Do to me what couldn't do to them." Quirrell grinned knowing he was getting under Neville's skin. It took Ginny a moment to realize who 'them' was: the Death Eaters that hurt his parents. 

He stepped closer still. Neville desperately wanted to back away but he didn't. He took a deep breath and looked Quirrell right in the eyes trying to ignore Ron and Hermione's screams. "You'll take vengeance for your poor parents..." he drawled. "Funny isn't it, Neville, that you could've had your revenge on the one who caused their suffering in the first place. But you never noticed. You even _liked _him. Thought he was a "good guy," didn't you?" 

Cho turned to Ginny wondering what the hell Quirrell was talking about. She knew it must be something important to bother Neville so much. Tears were pouring from the redhead's eyes. She couldn't move for the fear. "His parents," she whispered hoarsely, trying to explain to Cho. "Barty Crouch Jr." That was all she could manage to squeak out but it was enough for the other to understand. The man who had posed as their teacher was the same man who tortured Neville's parents and left them insane. 

"Stop it," Neville said again with more conviction this time. He tried in vain to shut the words out, to build a fortress around his brain so it couldn't be attacked. 

Quirrell continued. "Just think of all those times you were in his office... in his class... at meals with him... Ever wonder if he looked at you and saw the resemblance between you and your father while he was convulsing on the ground and screaming for mercy." 

Then Neville just snapped. He had to make Quirrell shut up. He couldn't take it anymore. He did something totally unexpected that caught everyone, even himself, off guard. He pounced on the older man throwing his fists in every direction and screaming loudly. Neville was larger than the sickly Professor to begin with and he had been living off tree bark for the last few months. He quickly wrestled tiny Quirrell to the ground. He landed punch after punch in a blind fury. 

"Neville!" Ginny shrieked. She moved to pull him off Quirrell then remembered that he was the bad guy and it was a good thing that Neville was beating the snot out of him. 

In the confusion, Cho dashed over to Ron and Hermione they were still whimpering in pain as the curse subsided. Neville had broken Quirrell's concentration and he couldn't continue the curse. She hastily began to untie the two of them. "We have to do something!" she yelled to Ginny as he forced her fingers to work faster. They still hadn't done anything to stop the curse or to help Harry. "We have to--" 

Cho's face went ashen. Her eyes lingered on the altar that Harry was tied to. Ginny whirled around to find that another man had Apparated into the clearing during all the hubbub. Just when they thought things couldn't get any worse... It was _him. _

The girls could only watch helplessly as the hooded figure turned around. He had two slits where his red eyes gleamed from. His nose was irregular and gaze him the look of a human snake. He was simply the most repulsive creature either of them had ever laid eyes on. Lucky for them, Voldemort didn't even glance at all the kids in the clearing. They were of no interest to him.

"My Lord!" Quirrell cried trying to push Neville off him so he could bow. 

"Quirrell," he hissed. He looked at Harry who was still bound to the altar. "You do have a flare for the dramatics," he observed. He seemed to slither foward so he could put one pasty white hand on Harry's forehead, where his scar was. Even in his sleep, Harry's body convulsed in pain the way it did whenever Lord Voldemort was near him.

"No!" Ginny yelped finally regaining her voice. 

Voldemort either didn't hear or didn't care. "Good work, Quirrell," he said flippantly. He didn't smile or say anything more. He merely Disapparated from the clearing, leaving nothing but air where he and Harry had once been. They were gone. 

Cho grabbed Ginny's arm. It had all happened so fast, they hadn't had time to react. They had been too stunned. Ginny couldn't believe the actual Dark Lord had just appeared in front of her and she hadn't even had time to be afraid let alone do anything about it. He had just waltzed off with Harry -- again. Who knew where he had taken him? Or for what reason? 

Slowly reality came swimming back to her. Neville was on the ground where Quirrell at left him. He was staring at his bloody hands with wonder. Quirrell's nose was bleeding profusely and parts of him were starting to bruise. Had he really done that? He had beaten Quirrell. He felt different somehow, stronger. If Draco Malfoy were there at that instant, he would've repaid the tears of torment he had inflicted on Neville. 

Quirrell stood above him smirking at the boy. He had managed to snatch the wands off the ground again and was feeling quite pleased with himself. "Happy now?" Quirrell jeered evilly. His eyes twinkled menacingly and Neville knew he was about to pull something. He swung his legs around and ambled to his feet determinedly. When he was standing he could look Quirrell in the eye. Trying not to catch Quirrell's attention, Neville reached into his pocket to retrieve his wand so he'd prepared for whatever was thrown at him. The pages of his mind flipped back to his second year. A wizard's duel, he thought. 

"Those two were lucky. These two won't be." Neville's eyes went wide as Quirrell pointed the wands at Cho and Ginny. 

"_Cruc-" _Quirrell began but he never finished. 

The wand seemed the raise itself in Neville's hand. All he could hear was Ginny's scream. All he could see was the look pure terror on Cho's face. It was so easy like all the hate he felt was pouring out of him. He didn't stop to think whether he could or should. He didn't have to. He just did. 

"_Avada Kedavra." _Neville said clearly and evenly. 

There was a whistling, the sound of speeing death. Green light rushed from Neville's wand. It filled the entire clearing and gave everything a lime tint before the world faded back into darkness. Then there was an audible, sickening thump as the body hit the ground. And the entire forest was silent. 


	5. One More Makes Four

Disclaimer: I disclaim. 

Notes: I've actually been finished with this chapter of "The Replacements" for a long time. It was posted to my list when it was done and now I'm finally getting around to uploading it to fanfiction.net. Everything in this fic was done before Order of the Phoenix came out. Most of it was written more than a year ago. Though my Ginny and Neville mesh well with the canon versions, my Cho is now entirely off. But I like her better this way, anyhow. 

I haven't written anymore since then and I don't know if I will since I've lost my outline for this fic (my computer has died) so don't really expect updates any time soon. I'm sorry. But if it makes things better, there are other fics I'm working on and you can find them on my list. Please join and say hello. It'll make me happy. 

  
Recap: Harry, Ron and Hermione have been kidnapped by evil-not-dead Professor Quirrell. Ginny, Cho and Neville go to find them in the Forbidden Forest where Quirrel goads Neville until he eventually uses the killing curse. And action!  
  
Part IV: One More Makes Four  
  
  
Everything stood still. Cho watched intently as Quirrell fell to the ground next to the unconscious forms of Ron and Hermione. He didn't move. She knew he never would again.   
  
"Neville..." Ginny began, her eyes wide and her breathing ragged.   
  
The sharp snap of breaking twigs in the distance cut her off. "Oh my god, someone's coming," Cho breathed a fear more powerful taking than she had felt before taking hold.   
  
The Killing Curse was illegal. Using it on any wizard, no matter how evil, earned you a nice cellblock in Azkaban.   
  
Neville didn't move. He didn't hear. He didn't see. His eyes remained glued to the corpse in front of him and his still smoking wand. What had he done? He hadn't thought, he had just... done it. Like it was the most natural thing in the world. He felt like he was going to be sick.   
  
The heavy footsteps were getting closer. Cho and Ginny grabbed Neville by the arm and hauled him into the thick underbrush to hide. They didn't need to tell Neville to be absolutely silent. He still stared, transfixed by the sight of the body lying in the center of the clearing. There wasn't a mark on him. If you didn't know better, you'd just think he was asleep. Or maybe he was unconscious like Ron and Hermione. But there was a difference in the three bodies: Ron and Hermione were pinking up while Quirrell looked   
to be getting paler and paler by the moment. 

  
Neville wondered if he was cold yet. Morbid curiosity bubbled up in him. He wanted to go see. Cho and Ginny held him back. Someone was entering the clearing now. He'd be seen. 

  
It was a very large someone. He stood almost as tall as some of the trees and his hands were as large as trash can lids. "Hagrid," Ginny whispered. She wanted to run to him and tell him everything. Hagrid wouldn't turn Neville over to the Dementors. He could help them. He could lead them out of the forest.   
  
"They're ov'r here, Professor!" Hagrid called to someone. Ginny immediately recoiled.   
  
Moments later, Professor Dumbledore himself appeared. He wore a dressing gown and looked very tired. His eyes ran over the scene before him: Quirrell dead. Two students unconscious. Harry Potter gone.   
  
Hagrid touched a large hand to Quirrell's neck, feeling for a pulse. "'e's dead."   
  
Dumbledore nodded grimly. He expected as much. He glanced around the clearing. His looked straight at the bush that the trio were hiding behind. For a second, Ginny thought that they had been seen. But Dumbledore said nothing and returned his attention to Hagrid.   
  
"We'll get these two to Madam Pomfrey," Dumbledore said as he conjured stretchers to put Ron and Hermione on. 

  
Dumbledore turned to leave, the stretchers floating in front of him. Hagrid lifted Quirrell into his arms like he was a rag doll and followed after them.   
  
Cho turned to Ginny. She was still breathing heavily. "We should follow them. They'll lead us back to the castle."   
  
Ginny nodded. "Come on, Neville." She prodded him like he was a child. Neville didn't respond. But he trotted after them like a good boy.   
  
But I'm not a good boy, he thought.   
  
*   
  
The rest of the day went very slowly for Cho Chang. All of Hogwarts was buzzing with the news that the great Harry Potter was missing and that his two best friends were unconscious in the hospital wing. Most assumed Harry had run to fight some great battle. She heard some first years saying that he was going to come back with the Dark   
Lord's head on a platter. Cho had barely restrained the urge to throttle them.   
  
No one knew what had really happened. She desperately wanted to talk with Neville and Ginny about a plan of action but they had been separated almost as soon as they had returned to Hogwarts. They ran off to Gryffindor tower hoping not to be caught out of bed in the middle of the night.   
  
She had seen Neville briefly at breakfast. He wore the same lost expression. All the other Gryffindors thought it was because his friends were hurt. Cho wanted to throttle them too. Couldn't they tell when he was going through something major? She had heard that   
Neville had a disaster in Potions and that Snape was furious, mostly because Neville hadn't even sniveled when Snape yelled at him. He didn't even appear to hear the professor. Obviously, this got under Snape's skin as he rather enjoyed tormenting young Neville. But Cho didn't have Potions with Neville or with Ginny, as they were all in   
different years, so she couldn't be sure the story was true.   
  
Ginny hadn't been seen all day. The entire Weasley clan had rushed to Hogwarts when they heard that Ron was still blacked out after being placed under the Cruciatus Curse. There were rumors that all the Weasleys couldn't fit in Madam Pomfrey's office, which Cho thought were just mean.   
  
The bell rang announcing the end of the final class of the day. Cho ambled determinedly down the hallway, pointedly ignoring the shouts of her Ravenclaw friends and trying to put the mountains of homework out of her mind. She had to find Neville. Maybe she could convince him to tell a teacher what had happened. Things couldn't go on like   
this.   
  
* 

  
Eight Weasleys stood somberly around the unmoving figure on the bed. Ron hadn't stirred since the night before. Neither had Hermione. Molly Weasley sniffled loudly. Professor Dumbledore had just informed them that her that her son had been under the Cruciatus Curse. Her husband put a comforting hand around her waist. The boys   
bowed their head in respect. Even the twins didn't dare crack jokes at a time like this.   
  
Ginny wiped a tear away from her eye. She looked into the scared faces of her family and felt nothing but shame. She couldn't shake the feeling that this was all her fault. She had failed to help her brother when he needed her most. Her mother sobbed into her father's   
shoulder. Ginny sighed. She hadn't been able to bring herself to tell them what had really happened. 

  
The word `coward' kept dancing through her head. She froze. She was a coward. And what was worse, Ron was paying for it.   
  
His face was pale. Other than that, he didn't look hurt at all, just like he was sleeping peacefully. But wasn't that the point of the Cruciatus Curse? It was the worst torture know and there was no messy clean up.   
  
"We'll leave you all alone," Dumbledore said solemnly. He ushered   
Madam Pomfrey outside the heavy door.   
  
For once, the Weasley children were quiet. There wasn't anything for any of them to day. Arthur stroked Molly's hair trying to sooth her hysterical sobs. The boys shuffled uncomfortably. They had put her through a lot of the years and they had seen her cry before. She was a very emotional woman. But it was never like this. She looked so   
tiny and frail like whatever was hurting was hurting her too.   
  
At Molly's strangled sob, a single tear ran down Ginny's face. She couldn't help thinking that if she had been faster or smarter or better then none of this would be happening. She had made her mother cry.   
  
Ginny felt a strong arm wrap around her shoulders. Now she couldn't stop the tears. They were trying to comfort her after what she had done. She couldn't see through the haze but she recognized the arms of Charlie immediately. His callused hands were rough, but oddly reassuring against her bare arms.   
  
"Shh," he whispered. "Ron'll be all right, Gin."   
  
Next she felt Bill's long hair tickle her face. "Please don't cry." But she couldn't help it. All the stress and pain of the previous evening was falling down her face.   
  
More arms enveloped her. This time she identified Percy's glasses pushed up against her neck uncomfortably. "3 out of 4 persons who survive the actual torture of the Cruciatus Curse manage to continue living, healthy, productive lives," he said knowledgably.   
  
Neville's parents hadn't, she thought.   
  
Then two identical hugs completed the red, large mass of Weasleys. "Come on, Gin," said Fred. "Ron's been hurt before. He's always ok."   
  
"Yeah," George piped up. "He'll wake up and we'll feel like gits for ever worrying about him."   
  
Ginny wasn't sure how long they stayed there. She only remembered how safe and warm she felt with all her brothers around her. It was like being inside a bubble where no one could hurt her. She was sorry for ever disappointing them and she was determined to make sure it didn't happen again. They were Weasleys after all, and when another Weasley was in trouble, goddamnit, they did something about it.   
  
When Bill was fired from his first job, Charlie found him a gig doing research about dragons.   
  
That time that Ron had accidentally drank that stuff that turned his face purple, the rest of the kids drank it too so they matched. So what if they all were purple for a few weeks?   
  
When kids used to make fun of Percy for being a nerd, Fred and George released ants into their homes. You just couldn't insult a Weasley like that and get away with it, even if Fred and George did call Percy a nerd every few minutes. 

  
"Excuse me."   
  
The Weasleys looked up, completely unashamed of their group hug to see who dare intrude on their quality time. Madam Pomfrey stood gingerly on the threshold of the door.   
  
"Ron and Hermione need their rest now," she turned to Ginny's parents. "And the Headmaster would like to see you all in his office."   
  
One by one, the Weasleys filed out of the hospital wing as if it were a funeral procession. Finally, only Ginny and Madam Pomfrey were left. The older woman looked at the girl with compassion.   
  
"They should be fine," she said without Ginny even having to ask. "But tonight is a critical time." Ginny nodded. "I'm going to get some medicine in the back room."   
  
"Can I talk to Ron for a second?" she asked tentatively.   
  
Madam Pomfrey sighed. "I don't see why not. Yell if you need anything."   
  
Once the nurse was out of sight, Ginny kneeled down next to Ron's bed. She reached a hand out to touch his head, brought it back then decided it would be all right to touch him.   
  
"Ron," she murmured as she ran her fingers through his hair. It was exactly the color of hers, almost eerie in a way. "Don't worry. We're going to get Harry back."   
  
A loud crash from the back room made Ginny jump. Madam Pomfrey must have dropped something. She turned back to her brother. A powerful wave of emotions swept over her. She was guilty and ashamed but also resolute.   
  
"I'm sorry we failed last night. It's my fault that you're here now. If I could've...If I hadn't..." she looked away. "It should've been me. If it were you kneeling here right now, I'm sure you'd know what to do. I bet Hermione would've already figured out where Harry is." She heaved a sigh, her voice wavering slightly. "We're not as good at this as you guys are. I mean, let's face it, last night was a total failure. Harry's missing, you and Hermione are unconscious, Neville's freaking out, and I'm... I'm a wreck."   
  
She stopped and removed her hand from Ron's face.   
  
"I always wanted to be like you." Her voice was barely audible. "But I think that was my problem: I'm not you. I'm sorry for trying to steal your thunder. So, I'm going to try to make it up to you. We'll get Harry back and we won't fail. I promise."   
  
She leaned over and kissed the top of his freckled head.   
  
"Ginny?" said a weak voice.  
  
Ginny jumped. Her heart beat a mile a minute. "Ron?" she hissed.   
  
"No..." it was the voice again. It was dull and pained. It came from the other bed.   
  
"Hermione!" Ginny leapt to her feet and rushed over to the other girl's bed.   
  
"What happened?" Hermione asked feebly.   
  
"Don't talk. I'll get Madam Pomfrey..." Ginny rose again but Hermione placed a limp arm on hers.   
  
"No. I want you to tell me." Ginny sat down again. Her face must have betrayed the fear and shame because Hermione asked abruptly, "Where's Ron?" The brown haired girl became rigid with fright.   
  
"He's in the next bed. He's all right. Just unconscious." Ginny tried to pacify her.   
  
Hermione's head fell back against the pillow, only relaxing slightly. "What about Harry?"   
  
"He's gone. Voldemort has him." The older girl closed her eyes. Ginny thought she saw them well up with tears but couldn't be sure. "I don't know what to do... We don`t know where he is." Then a thought occurred to Ginny. "What would you do, Hermione?" she asked.   
  
"I'd probably try to convince Ron to go tell a teacher," she sighed. "But it wouldn't work with him and it probably won't work with you." She took another anguished breath as if she were forcing herself to stay awake through the next few moments. "Go upstairs to   
Harry's dorm. If anyone asks what you're doing say you're getting something for Ron. Go into Harry's trunk. There's some things you're going to need..."   
  
*   
  
Ginny ran as fast as she could up to her room. Her footsteps echoed throughout the vacant hallway. She didn't stop to say anything to anyone especially her family. She knew they'd worry if they knew and she didn't want that. She just wanted to finish this. She was supposed to meet them in Dumbledore's office, they'd probably notice she was missing soon. She had to move fast before they would have a chance to stop her.   
  
No one questioned her as she rushed over to Harry's truck and easily unlocked it with a charm she learned from Fred and George. She plunged her hand inside, pulling out item after item. Normally she would be interested in what Harry kept in his trunk, but today she didn't care. Anything that wasn't what Hermione had told her to find, was of no consequence.   
  
There, finally, there it was. It looked like just a regular piece of paper. But according to Hermione it was much more. Ginny silently cursed herself for not thinking to pick up the Invisibility Cloak back in the Forbidden Forest. She didn't remember seeing it lying on   
the ground when they left, so that meant that someone must have picked it up. But she knew it wasn't Neville or Cho either. So that only left one person: Dumbledore.   
  
Ginny cursed again. He'd never give it back to them. At least, not for what she had planned...  
  
*  
  
Neville looked down at his hands. There was no blood. His hands were no different than they were yesterday or the day before. They were just the same old hands. The same old hands that were capable of murder.   
  
He looked away quickly. He couldn't stop thinking about it. Every sound, every image brought him back to that clearing. That god forsaken clearing. He couldn't bring himself to go back to Gryffindor tower because that was the home of the brave.   
  
Neville didn't feel brave. He felt sick mostly.   
  
So he sat alone in the empty Transfiguration classroom actively trying to think of nothing at all. Sweet nothing. The way you could when you were just a regular teenager. Days ago he could sit around and think of nothing for hours on end. Oh, to stare off into space   
vacantly.   
  
He closed his eyes trying to shut it all out. It didn't help. In his mind, Ginny was screaming; Quirrell was laughing. He didn't think Neville would do it. He didn't think Neville had it in him. Neville wished he didn't have it in him.   
  
He wanted to get it out of him.   
  
His shaking, bloodless hand flew to his mouth as he ran to the trashcan and vomited into it.   
  
Neville felt a soothing hand rubbing his back as he emptied his lunch into the can. It was Cho. She looked at him with worried eyes. He couldn't stand it. How could she still care after what he did? He looked away.   
  
"You didn't do anything wrong." Her voice begged him to see reason.   
  
He slumped to the ground. "I killed a man."   
  
"Everyone thought he was already dead," she pointed out.   
  
"So that makes it ok?" he demanded angrily. "It's all right to kill dead people. See, I wasn't aware of that rule."   
  
Cho put her hands on her hips. "Neville..."   
  
His anger slipped away when he looked in her face. He couldn't be mad when he was with her. It was replaced by a bitter remorse and sadness. "I wonder if I can get a cell next to the people who tortured my parents..." his voice trailed off. He looked off into   
the distance. He wasn't seeing Cho anymore. He was seeing the Dementors of Azkaban. They weren't nearly as pretty as Cho or as nice. But it seemed like he'd be spending an awful lot of time with them very soon.   
  
Cho stood up abruptly. She was horrified at the idea. How could he think something so horrible. "Neville! You're not going to get sent to Azkaban for killing Quirrell," she shrieked.   
  
He laughed wryly. "It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter who it was. Even if he were a big, blue, four-armed guy. He was still another human being. And using one of the Unforgivable Curses on another human being buys you a one way ticket to Azkaban."   
  
She gasped. "No," she said fiercely. "We're not going to let that happen."   
  
"You don't get it." He shook his head. She found herself noticing how different he was from the awkward, goofy Neville Longbottom she had know yesterday. She had never seen someone with so much pain in their eyes. "I killed him. No matter what happens after today, I still killed him. He's dead because of me." He slumped back against   
the wall as if the wall were holding him up. "Dead," he repeated. 

  
Loud laughter rang throughout the room. Cho and Neville's head snapped up in unison to see an ever smirking Draco Malfoy standing in the open doorway. "Did I hear you right, Longbottom? You killed a man?"   
  



End file.
